CBS RADIO WORKSHOP

CBS Radio Workshop was a revival of the Columbia Workshop of the late thirties. All 86 episodes survive today. The series aired from 27 Jan 1956 until 22 Sep 1957, of course on CBS. The original idea for the show came from Irving Reis back in the thirties. What he wanted was an experimental workshop, a sustaining program where actors, writers and technicians could produce scripts the sponsors might be afraid to try. The time was right in the late fifties to try this concept again, however, under different circumstances. By this time television was taking the big money so why not try this concept again since most of the big sponsors were already transitioning over.

William Froug, a CBS vice president was the force behind this revival. He grew up with the old Columbia Workshop and pitched the idea to Howard Barnes. Howard agreed with the idea and William Froug chose Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World" as the first program. Aldous Huxley narrated and William Conrad announced this radio adaptation of "Brave New World". The series brought together the cutting edges of writing, music, and sound. Overall it was a big hit with radio personnel and listeners. So much so that the east coast wanted in too. Thus the series alternated between the west and east coast production centers. Why not spare a little time and give a listen to some outstanding radio drama. Take the challenge and compare the CBS Radio Workshop with the original, Columbia Workshop. You decide for yourself which series is better.

This is the CBS Radio Workshop, dedicated to man's imagination, the theater of the mind.



From the Old Time Radio Researcher's Group. See "Note" Section below for more information on the OTRR.